Frederick Wildman Sharpens Focus On France And Italy Within Evolving Import Market

Majority-owned by Italy’s Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV) and counting several prominent French wineries among its shareholders, New York-based importer and wholesaler Frederick Wildman & Sons has now been in business for 90 years, with current revenues registering about $300 million. The company’s national import portfolio numbers above 2 million cases annually, led by million-case player Riunite and GIV labels Bolla and Folonari, which combine for over a half-million cases.

At the higher end, Wildman’s luxury stable includes Champagne Pol Roger, Famille Hugel, Pascal Jolivet, Olivier Leflaive, Chateau-Fuisse, and Chartreuse, all of which are shareholders. GIV managing director Roberta Corra serves as CEO of Wildman, and Southern Glazer’s veteran Matt Munn was appointed president and COO in 2022.

“On a national basis, we do about 70% of our volume off-premise,” Munn tells SND. “However, we do about 60% of our value in the on-premise. We’re enjoying nice growth volumetrically at retail right now, but we are seeing much faster value growth in the on-premise.”

Among Wildman’s key initiatives this year is the launch of Bolla’s La Fondazione tier of wines, selling in the $13 range and including a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC, Chianti DOCG, Valpolicella Classico DOC, and Soave Classico DOC. “Bolla had been competing among the ‘fighting magnums’ in liquor stores around the country. But premiumization is the cornerstone of the GIV strategy in America,” says Munn. “For us, this is the perfect time to premiumize the brand and offer something new.” Currently Bolla is up about 5%, Munn says, against a total Italian wine category down 4%.

Riunite is also bucking the tide. “There’s a Lambrusco renaissance happening right now, and Riunite is in absolute growth mode,” says Munn, noting that fresh packaging hearkening back to Riunite’s glory days of the 1970s and 80s is now hitting the market. The company has also seen its Prosecco business—led by the Lamberti label ($18)—outpace the category lately. Other Italian brands gaining ground include Santi Amarone ($50), La Selvanella Chianti Classico Riserva ($38), Re Manfredi ($36) in Basilicata, and Tenuta Rapitala ($17), a wholly organic brand from Sicily.

Within the French portfolio, Pascal Jolivet continues to benefit from the rising profile of Sancerre in the U.S. market, while conditions have been tougher for Wildman’s wines from Champagne and Burgundy. “Burgundy had two very challenged vintages followed by a robust vintage,” Munn notes. “With production down, prices went through the roof. But currently we’re seeing some price retraction in the market. We keep our eye on entry-level pricing, because there’s a tipping point where you can’t have Bourgogne Blanc at $200 on a wine list. We’re doing our best with our producers to really control that value chain as it comes into the U.S.”

Wildman’s national portfolio is split among RNDC, Southern Glazer’s, Empire Merchants, M.S. Walker, Georgia Crown, General Beverage, and Tryon, among other distributors. In the New York and New Jersey markets, it has its own distribution business with annual sales of around $65 million, which Munn says has been steadily gaining share.

Wildman counts wines from Harlan, Ridge, Plumpjack, and others within its distribution portfolio. “Our aspiration is always to do the best job we can in New York and New Jersey, with the future goal of taking brands on at a national level as they start looking for national assistance.”—Daniel Marsteller

Tagged : Bolla, Frederick Wildman, Gruppo Italiano Vini, Hugel, Pascal Jolivet, Pol Roger, Riunite

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